Family is the primary socialization group in which a child is born and acquires his/her first experiences. During the first couple of years in the child’s life, every event can leave serious consequences that shape his/her personality and values in future life. It is for this reason that the family in which the child grows up and all its members should be full of love, support, understanding and affection, so that the child could have proper conditions for development in general, and emotional development in particular. Parents have the biggest role in this regard because they are the ones with whom the child spends the most time and develops the first relationship of attachment which will dictate all future relationships of the child. Parents can also influence the child’s emotional development with their parenting style. Right after the parents, it is very important to mention the siblings and grandparents who greatly determine the emotional development of the child - by their very presence and then by their actions. In addition to all the above, this paper will also show how the relationship between parents can be important for the direction of child development, with a focus on parental divorce as one of the major life stresses that a child may experience.